Just wanna shout out to those of you who have reviewed, thank you very much. Continue reading and reviewing please, it definitely helps me out :) K x.

"I am not a spy! I will never work for or associate with my father again!" Lucy muttered bitterly.

Natsu turned away and hastily rubbed his eyes. "How can I believe you Lucy!? Your father's hurt a lot of people. How do I know-"

"Know what Natsu!? You don't know half of what he's done!" Lucy yelled.

"Don't you dare associate me with him! YOU KNOW NOTHING!" Lucy gasped, clutching her hands to her chest.

Natsu winced at her yelling, his black eyes wide.

"I hate him, for what he has done to you and for what he did to my mother!" fresh tears ran down her face, Lucy's shoulder's racked with sobs.

She breathed slowly, trying to calm down, so she could speak.

"Before the purge my father was loving and kind to both me and my mother. His brother was killed at sea by a gang of pirates and he became increasingly detached. Then the old Admiral, my grandfather killed himself when I was four; he couldn't cope with the loss of his first son. My father always wanted to prove himself to his father and he felt that his brother always had the glory. He left to start the purge the day after my fifth birthday leaving me in the care of my mother and my grandmother. The next three years were the happiest of my life, even though my father was gone, my mother cared for me, taught me how to use a sword and defend myself. From time to time my Mother's friend, Aquarius would visit. Those were the best days; they played with me all day and told me stories."

Lucy sighed; "Well I know now that she was an old crew-mate of my mothers. When I was eight, my mother, became distressed. She would receive letters each day after dinner and cry, in her room after she'd read them. Aquarius didn't visit anymore either. My mother became so depressed she was bed-ridden a month before my father's return. My grandmother was a cold woman, who didn't approve of my Mother; she didn't think she was a proper lady. I hoped and prayed it would get better when my father returned, but it only got worse."

Lucy's voice broke; "I heard them arguing on the night of my tenth birthday..."

Lucy listened nervously outside the door of her parents room. Thunder rumbled ominously outside, as rain hit the window with a bullet-like force. Her father was the first to speaking, breaking the thick tension in the air.

"I can't believe this..." her father uttered almost painfully.

Lucy heard the patter of her mother's bare feet on the wooden floor.

"Jude please...I-I gave it all up...f-for you, for Lucy, please...I never..."

Her mother began whimpering. She must have placed her hands on her father's chest as Lucy heard the soft clinking of his medals. Her father's heavy boots thudded on the floor.

"I don't want to hear it Layla...I thought I loved you."

Her mother began sobbing, "I love you! Please Jude, I can't take it. I love you even after what you've done..."

A loud crash came from the room. Lucy trembled, believing her father had thrown something. Her mother shrieked as more smashing and cracks were heard.

He roared, "Layla...I don't know you anymore! You lied to me!"

Lucy heard a sharp slap and a thud, her mother sobbed harder.

"No Jude! Think of Lucy! My precious daughter..."

"She is no longer yours! You'll never see her again, you whore!"

Her mother began to scream. Lucy clapped her small hands over her ears and crouched by the door, squeezing her eyes shut as her eyes filled with tears.

"No! Jude! No! Please!...I'm begging you! Stop! please..."

Lucy was pulled roughly from the door. "Stupid girl!" Her grandmother slapped her, her blue eyes cold. "Come away from there. Your supposed to be in bed!"

"My grandmother dragged me away and scolded me for eavesdropping. In the morning I was told my mother was dead."

The rain pattered mournfully against the porthole, as Lucy sobbed, chest heaving. Natsu stood frozen watching her. His face softened, as his anger ebbed away.

"After my mother died, my father paid me no attention and my grandmother looked after me, determined to turn me into the perfect lady, prepare me for marriage. But I trained in secret, continuing to practice what my mother taught me. My father placed me under heavy guard, I was escorted to my room each night and the door was locked and bolted, so I couldn't escape. When I was thirteen I received a letter from the royal family, since my father was the Admiral I had been invited to attend the Royal Naval Academy. My father couldn't refuse a referral from the Royal authority, so I trained there until I was seventeen. I got to put the skills my mother had taught me to good use. My teachers liked me, I made some good friends. I was happy." Lucy gave him a small smile

"Then straight after my graduation, my father dragged me home. I was forced to put on this big fancy dress for a ball so that I could be presented to society...

"You look wonderful my Lady..." Capricorn stood back to survey Lucy's appearance.

Lucy scowled at the red frilly dress. Her waist had been pulled into a tight corset and the ruffles and heavy beading on her chest and arms itched uncomfortably. She tugged helplessly at the sleeves and desperately wanted to pull her hair out of the tight formal bun.

"Capricorn...this is a travesty. I demand to have this dress removed and incinerated!"

Capricorn chuckled, "my Lady, I'm afraid I cannot help you. My Lord was quite insistent on this choice of clothing."

Lucy growled and stomped her foot in her sparkly red, matching slippers.

"How else will you be presented to society my Lady?"

Lucy scoffed and crossed her arms as much as her dress would allow. "Just send in a mannequin with a wig, this stupid dress and a price tag with the amount of my dowry on it!"

Capricorn tried hard to suppress a grin, before regaining his serious demeanor. "I'm sorry my Lady. While that is an amusing notion, I believe that you must be present..."

"Yes!" Lucy hissed, "I must be present for people to ogle at me like I'm some new pet!"

She turned away and looked out at the dusky sky through the gilded windows. Capricorn sighed and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He gently placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder, turning her towards him. Her delicate face was strained and her eyes were brimming with tears.

"I know this is not what you wanted my Lady...but there is nothing I-we can do...I'm sorry..."

The door crashed open, revealing Lucy's grandmother and her father.

Her grandmother smirked at Capricorn, a smug smile on her lips. "Hurry up Capricorn! You're needed in the ballroom to greet our guests."

Capricorn bowed his head. "Right away your Ladyship."

Lucy panicked as she watched Capricorn leave her room, her last source of comfort. Lucy turned away from her guardians and closed her eyes, balling her hands into fists.

Her grandmother hobbled over to her, her cold eyes gleaming. "Oh Lucy," she simpered a sickening smile graced her thin lips. "My dear, you look so beautiful. Just like a proper Lady..."

Lucy glared at them angrily stepping away from the window. She was a head taller than her grandmother now, she stood towering over the cold woman her brown eyes blazing angrily.

Her grandmother scowled and pursed her lips. "But Lucy, a Lady shouldn't glare so horribly at people. It isn't polite..."

Lucy felt like she was about to boil over. Her father watched her curiously. She could feel the madness of her anger over taking her, she smiled sweetly at her grandmother.

"Lucy, that's much better. You are sure to get a suitor if you smi-"

Lucy grabbed an ornately gilded chair and tossed it out the window with a loud crash. Her grandmother winced, her blue eyes widening in shock.

Lucy smiled again and whispered, "fuck off!"

Her grandmother stumbled backwards, gasping indignantly. "What did you say young lady! Apologise immediately!"

Lucy laughed and placed her hands of her hips. "No. I refuse. You've had that one coming a long time your Ladyship."

Her grandmother stared desperately at her father for support.

"Lucy..." He said calmly, clasping his gloved hands together. "You are going to this ball and you will pick a suitor, or I will pick one for you."

"No!"

Lucy watched the tick in her father's forehead, but his face remained passive.

"You dragged me home on graduation day father! What the hell!" Lucy growled, tossing a pathetic, heavily decorated golden clock out the window after the chair.

"I was supposed to be going sailing with Loke, Virgo, Aries and Meredy." Lucy's fingers itched to throw something else. "We were going to travel to Seven or Bosco...but you ruined it! I was finally happy and you ruined it!"

"Don't be so ungrateful, you silly girl!" Her grandmother snapped. "Who put the clothes on your back, the food on the table..."

"Ungrateful!?" Lucy scoffed, tugging at her hair. "Oh my God! I never asked to be rich! I never asked for anything! All I wanted was to be happy! But you two never cared about that. Right?"

"Enough of this behaviour Lucy! We didn't raise you this way!"

"Yeah well the Navy did," Lucy shrugged. "Mum did..."

Her father went pale with anger and stepped forward. Slapping her across the face.

"Never!" He breathed. "Never speak of her again!"

Lucy gasped and tenderly massaged her cheek. "Why not? Father. I'm sure mum wouldn't want you treating me this way if she was alive..."

Her father went very pale, his teeth clenched. "She isn't alive. I am your guardian."

Lucy chuckled coldly. "Yeah you are. You're doing an absolutely fantastic job too...She was a better parent that you'll ever be."

Lucy gasped, spluttering as a gloved hand gripped her throat. She tore at her fathers arm, wishing she had a knife.

"She wasn't fit to be a parent!" He spat, composing his face in a calm smile as Lucy struggled against his grip. "No matter, she isn't here to protect you now."

Her grandmother giggled in a sickening high pitched voice. "You couldn't beat it out of Layla Jude, but you can with Lucy."

A smirk curved her father's lips. "Yes mother...And if I can't beat it out of Lucy, I'll have to kill her, just like I killed her mother."

Lucy's eyes widened and tears filled her eyes. Her father let go of her throat and she slumped limply down the wall. Her guardian's left the room, laughing coldly.

Her body was numb with shock. Stumbling to her feet, she stiffly removed her finery and changed into her navy uniform. She methodically went through a plan in her mind, her action were slow and precise as she forced herself to tear the fine linen sheets of her bedclothes and tie them together. Once she had a sizeable length of material she looked at the smashed window and a small grin curved her mouth.

Natsu froze, his face fell.

"That's right Natsu my father murdered my mother, and my guess is that he found out he'd knocked up and married a pirate." Lucy said coldly.

"Luckily one of my teachers at the Academy had given me a recommendation as a navigator to Captain Malkovich. I escaped from my room, knocked out the guards, stole a horse and rode to Hargeon." Lucy sighed running a hand through her hair.

"Then I boarded the Comet and here I am."

Lucy wiped her pale face.

"You have every right to hate me Natsu…after what my father did to you and your dad." Lucy looked down, she couldn't face him. She didn't know how he would react.

She sighed her voice breaking; "but I-"

Strong arms encircled her, as he hugged her tight to her chest.

"I could never hate you Lucy." He whispered into her hair. "I'm so sorry..."

Tears ran down her face again. Stop crying! She internally shouted. He wiped the tears away; his rough hands, holding her face gently. She hiccupped and smiled up at him. He pulled her close again.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." She whispered. "I've never told anyone before."

He chuckled; his warm breath tickling her cheek.

"I shouldn't have blamed you for something your father has done…yo-we were both too young to do anything…"

Lucy nodded and brushed her hands across her face.

"Let me protect you Lucy…I-I'll never let them take you away from me…" He blushed slightly and dipped his head in the crook of her neck, shyly.

Lucy blushed and chuckled softly as his warm breath fanned across her neck. "Thanks for kidnapping me too…I-I love it here on Fairy Tail."

At this he beamed at her, lifting her up, making her squeal. He placed her on the bed and got in next to her. They held each other close as they fell asleep, with Happy curled at the foot of the bed snoring softly.

Chapter 13- Layla

"Captain Makarov would like to see you now."

Lucy stiffened a bit, and followed Erza out the door, her hands clasped in front of her.

In the Captain's office Lucy stared down at her feet, as Makarov and Laxus watched her.

"I just wanted to talk to you about your mother." Makarov placed his weathered face in his hands, tears leaking onto the desk.